Chance encounter with UNC coach helps woman's cause

Amy Louthan (left), UNC basketball coach Roy Williams and Hannah Telman. Telman organized the 'Running for Amy' event on Labor Day in Wrightsville Beach for Louthan, who had a brain tumor removed Tuesday. Williams showed up in support after meeting Telman two days previous. Submitted photo

Published: Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 10:54 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 10:54 p.m.

Hannah Telman's wheels were already churning when she headed out for her marathon training run on Aug. 31.

Good friend Amy Louthan was in final preparations for surgery to remove a brain tumor. The medical bills would be high. Telman just wanted to raise as many dollars as she could, in a very short amount of time. Why not have a fundraising run around the John Nesbitt Loop on Labor Day?

After all, the mother of one son and four dogs was preparing for October's Marine Corps Marathon, and the loop was familiar ground for her athletic endeavors and spiritual guidance. She also attends Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church, the familiar landmark on Causeway Drive where Louthan's husband, Keith, is pastor.

The day before, Telman said she had “15 people signed up and thought it would be just a little run.”

Then she met Roy Williams, and by the end of a picturesque Labor Day sunset, Telman had helped raise more than $10,000.

Second time the charm

“We're at mile 8, and all I can think is, 'Why am I running this far,' ” Telman recalled this week with a laugh as her running partner “goes ballistic. … 'That's Roy Williams!' So I turned around to follow him and thought, 'No, that's celebrity stalking and I'm not going to do that.'

“Then we went past the church, and I prayed and I said I'm going to have the guts to say something when we pass him again.”

Williams, the University of North Carolina men's basketball coach, vacations frequently in Wrightsville Beach. Walking the loop is not out of the ordinary. Neither is meeting people along the way.

“It was just a very low-key thing,” Williams said in a voice message. “I was going for my walk, the ladies said hello. We were just laughing and having a good time and they told me about their walk. I said I'd be there if it helped them. It was just a simple thing.”

Before Saturday, Telman's husband, Chris, didn't share his wife's enthusiasm for her idea.

“I was wondering if I should order 30-40 bibs to be optimistic,” Hannah said of the paper she planned to give to each runner and walker, emblazoned with “Running For Amy.”

'Be a presence'

Keith and Amy Louthan and their three children have lived in Wilmington for 3 1/2 years, moving from Fayetteville, Ga., a south Atlanta suburb. Keith, a former math teacher and basketball coach, said things were fine until recent months, when the right side of Amy's face began to lose feeling and function.

“We found out the Thursday before Labor Day” that it was a tumor and needed to be removed as soon as possible, Keith said.

Church members quickly embraced their leaders. The Telmans got their organization into high gear, checking one last time whether the Louthans approved of their big plan.

“We didn't even know this was coming together until Saturday,” Keith said of the fundraising run/walk and church-led barbecue lunch. “The reason we knew was because Hannah and Chris were so excited about Roy Williams coming.”

“Everything about it was just unbelievable to us,” he later said. “We really didn't know all that was going on until that weekend. And the way it came together … to realize, to be loved that well by that many people, it is something hard to describe.”

Hannah got a flyer made and distributed. She asked those participating to pledge money or have donors give them money per mile.

“We could be a presence,” she said. “We can talk about the cause as we're running.”

It keeps adding up

Despite never exchanging email addresses or telephone numbers, Telman and Williams met right on time in front of the church on Monday morning.

Telman told Amy she didn't need to be there if she wasn't feeling well. Yet she was the only Louthan who made it to meet the Hall of Fame coach. Keith and daughter Ellison took son Hunter to football practice at Hoggard. Their other son, Austin, was sick in bed.

“He took time with her and talked with her and everyone was crying,” Telman said. “It was just very meaningful.”

Williams also admitted the morning was “a little bit emotional,” and incredibly well-spent.

“I really, it's just something I think everyone should do,” he said. “It was very down to earth.”

As Williams came, walked and eventually left, the event's interest – and pledges – continued to rise. At least 10 anonymous people walked up, donated money and walked away.

“He's on vacation and he gives his time and and supports our need. It's really neat to see someone willing to respond in that way from the position that he's in,” Keith said.

“Ellison, she's 12 … that was a real powerful statement to her. You go around and seeing the Running For Amy tags on their shirts, that touched her in a way she hadn't experienced before: 'This is home for us. People love us and they're looking out for my mama.'”

Ellison made three laps. Telman, meanwhile, was just getting started. She received a pledge from one donor for a staggering $171 per mile – after mile 20.

So she finished a whole marathon that day, raising part of $10,700 collected that afternoon. Along with the lunch, the church raised more than $28,000 that day.

“There were two hours left,” Telman said, “I figured I could walk or crawl it.”

Can't predict a miracle

Amy's surgery was Tuesday; except for a small part of the tumor too close to a nerve near her brain stem, it has all been removed.

Keith said the pathology should be known early next week. The doctors aren't sure what they have on their hands, and why it became so violent in a month's time.

However, Amy's inexplicable moment, combined with a friend's chance encounter with a legend, led to a day that none of them will ever quite be able to describe the way they want.

“The first couple days, I was just in shock. How does this happen?” Hannah asked. “Then, Tuesday, I was writing thank-you notes, looking at the photos and thinking, 'Did this really happen?' It was amazing to see how many people love Amy.

“You don't get to lean on people too often like this, but people gave. Even people that didn't know her.

“I just don't see how that's humanly possible, from beginning to end, the ripple effect,” Telman later added. “It's still overwhelming talking about it again. I don't think you can replicate that. It was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle.”

<p>Hannah Telman's wheels were already churning when she headed out for her marathon training run on Aug. 31.</p><p>Good friend Amy Louthan was in final preparations for surgery to remove a brain tumor. The medical bills would be high. Telman just wanted to raise as many dollars as she could, in a very short amount of time. Why not have a fundraising run around the John Nesbitt Loop on Labor Day?</p><p>After all, the mother of one son and four dogs was preparing for October's Marine Corps Marathon, and the loop was familiar ground for her athletic endeavors and spiritual guidance. She also attends Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church, the familiar landmark on Causeway Drive where Louthan's husband, Keith, is pastor.</p><p>The day before, Telman said she had “15 people signed up and thought it would be just a little run.”</p><p>Then she met Roy Williams, and by the end of a picturesque Labor Day sunset, Telman had helped raise more than $10,000.</p><h3>Second time the charm</h3>
<p>“We're at mile 8, and all I can think is, 'Why am I running this far,' ” Telman recalled this week with a laugh as her running partner “goes ballistic. … 'That's Roy Williams!' So I turned around to follow him and thought, 'No, that's celebrity stalking and I'm not going to do that.'</p><p>“Then we went past the church, and I prayed and I said I'm going to have the guts to say something when we pass him again.”</p><p>Williams, the University of North Carolina men's basketball coach, vacations frequently in Wrightsville Beach. Walking the loop is not out of the ordinary. Neither is meeting people along the way.</p><p>“It was just a very low-key thing,” Williams said in a voice message. “I was going for my walk, the ladies said hello. We were just laughing and having a good time and they told me about their walk. I said I'd be there if it helped them. It was just a simple thing.”</p><p>Before Saturday, Telman's husband, Chris, didn't share his wife's enthusiasm for her idea. </p><p>“I was wondering if I should order 30-40 bibs to be optimistic,” Hannah said of the paper she planned to give to each runner and walker, emblazoned with “Running For Amy.”</p><h3>'Be a presence'</h3>
<p>Keith and Amy Louthan and their three children have lived in Wilmington for 3 1/2 years, moving from Fayetteville, Ga., a south Atlanta suburb. Keith, a former math teacher and basketball coach, said things were fine until recent months, when the right side of Amy's face began to lose feeling and function.</p><p>“We found out the Thursday before Labor Day” that it was a tumor and needed to be removed as soon as possible, Keith said. </p><p>Church members quickly embraced their leaders. The Telmans got their organization into high gear, checking one last time whether the Louthans approved of their big plan.</p><p>“We didn't even know this was coming together until Saturday,” Keith said of the fundraising run/walk and church-led barbecue lunch. “The reason we knew was because Hannah and Chris were so excited about Roy Williams coming.”</p><p>“Everything about it was just unbelievable to us,” he later said. “We really didn't know all that was going on until that weekend. And the way it came together … to realize, to be loved that well by that many people, it is something hard to describe.”</p><p>Hannah got a flyer made and distributed. She asked those participating to pledge money or have donors give them money per mile. </p><p>“We could be a presence,” she said. “We can talk about the cause as we're running.”</p><h3>It keeps adding up</h3>
<p>Despite never exchanging email addresses or telephone numbers, Telman and Williams met right on time in front of the church on Monday morning.</p><p>Telman told Amy she didn't need to be there if she wasn't feeling well. Yet she was the only Louthan who made it to meet the Hall of Fame coach. Keith and daughter Ellison took son Hunter to football practice at Hoggard. Their other son, Austin, was sick in bed.</p><p>“He took time with her and talked with her and everyone was crying,” Telman said. “It was just very meaningful.”</p><p>Williams also admitted the morning was “a little bit emotional,” and incredibly well-spent.</p><p>“I really, it's just something I think everyone should do,” he said. “It was very down to earth.”</p><p>As Williams came, walked and eventually left, the event's interest – and pledges – continued to rise. At least 10 anonymous people walked up, donated money and walked away.</p><p>“He's on vacation and he gives his time and and supports our need. It's really neat to see someone willing to respond in that way from the position that he's in,” Keith said.</p><p>“Ellison, she's 12 … that was a real powerful statement to her. You go around and seeing the Running For Amy tags on their shirts, that touched her in a way she hadn't experienced before: 'This is home for us. People love us and they're looking out for my mama.'”</p><p>Ellison made three laps. Telman, meanwhile, was just getting started. She received a pledge from one donor for a staggering $171 per mile – after mile 20.</p><p>So she finished a whole marathon that day, raising part of $10,700 collected that afternoon. Along with the lunch, the church raised more than $28,000 that day.</p><p>“There were two hours left,” Telman said, “I figured I could walk or crawl it.”</p><h3>Can't predict a miracle</h3>
<p>Amy's surgery was Tuesday; except for a small part of the tumor too close to a nerve near her brain stem, it has all been removed.</p><p>Keith said the pathology should be known early next week. The doctors aren't sure what they have on their hands, and why it became so violent in a month's time. </p><p>However, Amy's inexplicable moment, combined with a friend's chance encounter with a legend, led to a day that none of them will ever quite be able to describe the way they want.</p><p>“The first couple days, I was just in shock. How does this happen?” Hannah asked. “Then, Tuesday, I was writing thank-you notes, looking at the photos and thinking, 'Did this really happen?' It was amazing to see how many people love Amy.</p><p>“You don't get to lean on people too often like this, but people gave. Even people that didn't know her.</p><p>“I just don't see how that's humanly possible, from beginning to end, the ripple effect,” Telman later added. “It's still overwhelming talking about it again. I don't think you can replicate that. It was a once-in-a-lifetime miracle.”</p><p><i></p><p>Reach sports editor Dan Spears at Dan.Spears@StarNewsOnline.com or 343-2038.</i></p>